Welcome to the town of Bedford, Iowa! Originally called "Grove," it is somewhat uncertain how the town came to be remaned Bedford, it is often believed to come from Thomas J. Bedford, the first westbound Pony Express rider to deliver mail on its final leg, which stretched from Benicia to Oakland, California. It is believed that Bedford operated a store within city limits, but he would later move to California during the Gold Rush.

Other possible backgrounds for the name include Bedford in England, which was a possible original home of the early settlers, Bedford Indiana, the reputed home of the surveyor of this land, and Bedford Pennslyvania, which was reported as the home of a "government engineer."

The land was laid out on lots which were sold on July 4, 1853. Town legend states that a barrel of whiskey was placed on the grounds, with lots seling for anywhere between 10 and 20 dollars.

The last thing of note is the Taylor County Courthouse, built in 1893. As the county seat, Bedford houses the county courthouse, which is pictured on the right (image courtesy of Jared Winkler / CC BY-SA, all information courtesy of Wikipedia.com).